Vehicle brake



VEHICLE BRAKE Filed Mew 25, ,1925

- 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS l Apl 21,1925. 'v 1,534,544

' J. ROBSON VEHICLE BRAKE Filed May 25, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. .fo n' osorz ATTORNEYS April 21,1925. 1,534,544

J. ROBSON VEHI CLE BRAKE Filed May 25, 192sA 4 sheets-sheet 5A IN VEN TOR.

U- I BY Y A M A TTORNEYS April 2l, '1 925..

1,534,544 J. ROBSQN- VEHICLE BRAKE Filed Ma .y 25, 192.3 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 'ILL/lll:

' INVENToR A TTORNE KS' lil Patented Apr. 2l, 1925iE UNITED STATESA 1,534,544 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN ROBSON, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO UNIVERSAL ENGINEER- ING CORPORATION, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, GANADA, A CORPORATION F CANADA.

VEHICLE BRAKE.

Application filed May 25, 1923.

T0 all 107mm t may concern.'

Be it known that I, loi-IN Bonson, a sub'- ject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of VVa-terbury, in the county of New i Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle Brakes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to brakes for ve- U hicles, and particularly for vehicles carrying an engine or power plant, especially of the character in which a liquid is used to transmit power to the wheels of the vehicle. T he object of my present invention is to utilize the pressure of such power-transmitting liquid for the purpose of applying the brake. Satisfactory examples of this invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which i0 Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through a locomotive provided with a brake embodying my invention and arranged to operate automatically whenever the speed of the engine exceeds a predetermined limit; Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the brake mechanism, on an enlarged scale, and with parts in section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the bra-ke cylinder shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an elevation, with parts in section, of the brake-controlling governor shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a partial longitudinal section of a locomotive having a brake system similar to that in Fig. 1, but operated by the engineer instead of automatically; Fig. 6 is a partial horizontal section, on line 6-6 of Fig. 7, showing still anotlher form of my invention; Fig. 7 is a vertical section substantially on line 7"7 of Fig. G; and Figs. 8, 9, and 10 are diagrammatic elevations of three further embodiments of my present invention.

In the example illustrated by Figs. 1 to 4, the invent-ion is applied to a locomotive having a suitable frame 10 supporting the internal combustion engine 11 which through suitable intermediate mechanism drives a pump contained in the casing 12. The liquid (generally oil) propelled by such pump operates a motor 13, or a plurality of such motors, pipes 14 and 15 respectively conveying the fluid from the pump to the motor and back from tlhe motor to the pump. The driving mechanism itself forms no part of my present. invention, and is practically the Serial No. 641,337.

same as shown in my pending application for Letters Patent of the United States, Serial No. 584,944 hled August 29, 1922. The pump contained in the casing 12 is of a type new well-known in the art, and a disclosure of such pump is found in my earlier 'application just referred to, and also in several patents, for instance Harvey l). `Williams United States Patents No. 925,148 of June 15, 1909 and No. 1,044,838 of November 19, 1912. For speed-regulating purposes, the output of the pump may be varied by mechanism a portion of which has been indicated at 1G, such speed-varying mechanism being likewise disclosed in the earlier application and in the patent mentioned above. It will be understood that the pump has two ports, one connected with the pipe 14 and the other with the pipe 15, and according to the direction in which the oil travels through the circuit (which direction is reversible by means of the mechanism 16), one or the other of these pump ports is the pressure port, the other being the suction port. In Fig. 1, I have indicated gearing 17 by which the motor 13 drives the wheel 18 on the axle 19. An expansion tank 2O is connected by a pipe 2l with the interior of the pump easing 12.

According to the example of my present invention illustrated by Figs. 1 to 4, the shaft of the engine 11 is connected in any suitable manner, for instance by gearing 22 driven by the mechanism transmitting power from the engine to the pump, with a governor shaft 23 journalled in suitable bearings 24. The existing engine governor may be utilized. To the upper end of this shaft is secured rigidly a casing or carrier 25 to which the ball-carrying levers 26 are pivote-d at 27 to swing in axial planes. Springs 28, attached to the carrier and to the balls, tend to pull the latter toward the axis of rotation. On said shaft 23 is mounted to slide lengthwise a sleeve 29 having an upper collar or groove. to co-operate with the corresponding ends of the ballcarrying levers 26, and a lower collar or groove co-operating with one end of an elbow lever 30 fiile-ruined at 31, the other end of the lever being pivotally connected at 32 with a link or rod 33. The other end of this rod has a pivotal connection at 34 with an arm rigid with the plug-B6 of the brake-controlling' valve. rllie casing 3T of this alve has three ports, from one of which a pipe 38 leads to the expansion tank 20, by way of the pipe 2l. The second port, located between the other two, is eonnectec by pipes 39 and 40 with brakel cylinders elfi (here shown as located at both ends of the locomotive) in which are iitted to slide pistons 42 pressed by springs l5 toi vard the end at which the pipes Ll() are connected. n vent i+1 is provided at the other end of each cylinder Lll. rlhe pistons are connected by rods 45 and pivots el@ with levers il? Vxfilcrimed at i8 and carryingl pivotally at 1li), brake shoes 50 adapted for engagement with the respective wheels 18. The third port ofthe valve easing 3T is connected with the pressure port of the pump casing` l2, by a pipe 51. Should the oil always 'llow in the same direction through the piiinp and motor circuit, the pressure porty of the casingl2 would always be the sanie, and a siiiiple pipe connection would siii'i'ice. (l. .,r ilv. however, the direction of flow reversiliile, so that one port of the easing' or the other may be the pressure port. ln view of this, the pipe 5l is not connected directly with a port of thel pump casing l2, but with 'the enti-al chamber 52 of a casing 53, the latter havingil two additional ports connected by pipes 5ft, 55, respectively with the two ports of the pump casing l2. The connection of said chamber 52 with the pipes is coin trolled automatically by a` valve t' in such a manner thatsiieh valve shuts olf from the chamber the pipe` or 55 leadingl to that port of the pump casing l2 which is the suetion port. Thepipe 5l is therefore always connected with the pressure port of the pump casing' 12. ln 2, it has been assumed that the port of the casingi2 to which the pipe 5t leads is the suc-tion port: the function of the ports be reversed is when the oil [lows in the oppos 2 tion through the pump-motor cir uit) the pipe oil will contain oil under pressure, and the valve 56 will be shifted by such pressure, and by the suction then existing in pipe 55, to its other position, in which it closes communication between the cliaiiilicr and the pige :55.

rthe valve plug- 3G has two ports or cliaiinels 57 and 58, separated lj.' a rib of), and in permanent comn'iunication with the pipes 3S and 5l respectively. ltorinallyv` that is to say.r with the bralies released, the ai'iii IE5 is in the position indicated by the netted lines in Fig. 2. so that. the pipe leading;I to the b 'alie cylindeis Ll-l in coniiiiiinication with the pipe 38 leading to the expansion tank 20, and the snings 5F23 press the pistons i2 bach to the bralte-releasine' position, the oil in the. cylinders being;- forced through pipes Ll0, 39, channel 5T and pipes 38, 21 into the expansion tanlt, lf, howit, ti direc pass lrom pipe 5l through the channel 525i into pipes 39 and 40, thus reachinf the b 'alie cylinders 4l and oper lin;Y the pistons l2 to apply tl e brakes the engine speed drops to the proper ligriii'c, the governor will restore the piiigif 525' to the original position and thus release the brakes. It will thus be seen that the een trifiigal governor is automatic both as to causing the application of the brakes and as to effecting,` their release. While l have shown the control of b 'alte-s located at l ends of the locomotive, I do not wish to strict myself to this fatiire, nor is it essary that the brakes should worlt on porting wheels of the locomotive or oil 1' vehicle, it being obvious that such lira-.lies inigi'ht act on any other rotarj.' part of tl( niechanisin, for instance on the i'iy-wheel o'l thel engine.

ln Figi'. 5 l have slioi'n a form of my iiivention in which the brake-controlling valve is operated by the engineer instead of aiitomatic-ally. r`he centrifugal governor and its connections are omitted, but the e arraneeiiient of the other parts is si ti: lly the saine as described above, 'he iiiterior construction of the casino' plug; is the saine as before, but thc. z 35 rigid with the plug,l simply constiti' handle for ope r'ation by the engineer. pressure pipe 51, relief pipe 353/ and braliicylinder pipe 39 correspond iii il'iinction to the similarly designated parts described iii connection with Figs. l to l. llichandle 35 will be normally in the bralie-iclcas' *f position, in which the pipe 3?/ con'iiiii Cates with the pipe 355. 'lo apply t ie iiralte. the engineer will swing the handle i io the other position, thiis bringing); the pig 85) in conin'iiini lation with the pi'ef;i,--iiiic pipe l, and ausing the bralie to be appl'eil iii the 'aine manner as described above.

ln Figs. 6 and T l have illustrated a construction operating autoniatieallv iii the saine inanner as explained with reference to Figs. l. to 4^, and also pei'ii'iittinn,` of iiiilependent inaniial operation. lit to lic iinY derstood that the parts at the rigi'ht o f those shown in Fin'. (i, are to be of the saine cirost-ruction as illustrated in Fins. l iiid tlm* i iiue is to say, the right hand end of t i'oil i lo r etti.

37, their ports, and their connections, are the same as iirst described. The arm is provided with a projection 35 adapted to engage a hand lever 61 held to turn with the plug; 3G and spindle 60, for instance by being' secured to the latter by a nut 62. il spring` (523, having,` one end fastened to the said projection 35 (or to any other suitable part of the arm 35), and its other end secured to the lever 6l, tends to keep the latter in contact with said projection 35, as indicated by full lines in Fig. 6, vet allows the lever 61 to loe swung manually away :from said projection, say to the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 6. The governor-controlled operation of this form et my invention is exactly as first dew scribed, since the spring 63 will normally keep the lever 6l against the projection 35 and thus compel said lever` (and the valve plu 36) to swing in unison with the govcriior-actuated arm 35. The full lines in Fig'. (l show the plug 36 and connected parts in, the brake-release position in which the pipes 38 and 89 are in communication with each other. Should it be desired to apply the brakes by manual operation at al time when the ,governor is holding' the arm in the position shown in Fig. 6 (release positionl, the engineer will swing' the lever 6l in the direction indicated by the arrow, the spring G3 yielding to allow the said lever to move independently ot the arm 35. which latter remains stationary. Since the plug 3G is held to turn in unison with the lever (3l, this manual operation will bring the pluie' 36 to the brake-applying position in which the pipe 39 comn'iunicates with the pipe 5l, as illustrated in Fig. 2. As soon as the engineer releases the lever (il, the spring; G23 will bring' said lever back to con tact with the projection 35, so that the arm 35 and lever Gl (with the valve plug; will again ino-ve in unison, under the automatic control of they governor. Should tl'ie arm 35 and the leve-1' 6l be brought, by the action ot the governor, to the brake-applyinle.' position in which the lever (il stands as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. t) (and the plug` 36 in the position Fig. 2), the eneinser might, unless special provision is made to preventthis, brin; the plug 36 to the release, position by swingingv the lever 6l toward the riglht. trom the position indicated by dotted lines in Figi'. (l. lnasinuch as it is not desirable that the engineer should be able to release the brake manually when it has been applied automatically `by the action oi the governor, suitable means may be employed to prevent this; tor instance, the lever 61 may be provided with a projection 61 adapted to engage a stationary stop 37 when said lever has reached the brake-applying position.

in. Fig. 8 l Vhave illustrated an arrangement for applying the brake either by the oil-pressure device such as described above, particularly with reference to Figs. l to 5 (but applicable as well in connection with the features illustrated by Figs. 6 and 7), or by air-pressure in cennect'on with mechanism ci? the kind customarily used with airbrakes. The showing' in Fig. 8 may be taken as illustrating the parts illustrated at the lett-hand lower poitionot` Figs. l and 5, the parts 18, i9, l0, Lll., 4.5, d6, and 50 being exactly or substantially the same as before described. rllhe lever di", however, is not mounted on a stationary iulcrum, but on a movable itulcrum 18' termed at the end ot the rod 64 extending from the usual piston (not shown) contained in the brake-cylinder G5 te which compressed air is supplied through a pipe (i6. controlled in any wellknown or approved manner. rThe lever 47 thus becomes a floating lever. 4Ars long` as the air-brake is inactive, the '.tulcrum 4S will remain stationary, and the devfce will operate exactly as described in connection with Figs. l to 5. It the air-brake operation is performed, the rod l5 remaining stationary, the pivotal connection i6 will temporarily lterm a lined tulcrnm 'for the lever 417. and the brake 50 will be applied by the swingingn ot said lever 417 o-n said ulcrum 4 6. lt will be noted that the rods t5 and 64 move in opposite directions during their active strokes, so as to insure the movement et the brake shoe 5D in the proper direction.

ln Figs. 9 and lO ll have shown two additional ways ot operating air-brakes both a'iitomaticz-illy and manually in accordance with my invention. ln both of these constructions, a governor ot the character above set 'Forth is employed for the automatic operation of the air-brake; in Fin'. 9, the. governor operates the air-brake mechanism through the medium ot the oil-pressure, while in Fig'. l0 there is a direct mechanical connection between the ,governor and the air-brake mechanism. ln each ot these views. designates the governor with its shaft 23. 9.9 the governor-actuated sleeve on said shaft, and 30 the elbow lever tulcrumed at 3l and having' one end in engagement with said sleeve, while the other end has a pivotal connection 3Q', all as hereinabove set forth. Y

ln fr. 9 the rod 33 attached to the lever 30 at 5:32 connects with an arm 35a connected to turn with a plug in the valve casing 37, said plus` beine of the same character as described with reference to Fig. 2, and controlling' three connections 88, 39', and 5l, et the same character as the connections 38, 39, and 5l ot Figs. 2 and 6, except that the connection 39 leads to a cylinder 67 containing' a piston 68 moved toward the oil inlet by a spring' 69. The piston rod 70 is pivotally connected at 71 with a lever 72 lo swinging on a stationary fulcrum 73 and pivotally connected at 74 With a (forked) arm 75 provided with apin 76. This pin is fitted to move Within a segmental guide or slot 77 on a lever 78 ulcrumed aty 79 on the casing S0 containing the usual engineers valve forming part ot the air-brake equipment, or any equivalent controlling device. The position indicated by full lines is the neutral or so-called lap position, While the lett-hand position indicated by dotted lines is the release position of the engineers valve, and the right-hand position indicated by dotted lines is the brake or brakeapplying position ot the lever 7S, effecting the customary operations in any Well-known or approved manner, to apply or release the air-brake; the numeral 8l indicates the customary air-pipes controlled by the engineers valve. rllhe segmental guide or slot 77 is long enough to enable the lever 78 to be moved by hand to the brake-applying position Without affecting the pin 76 and arm 75, that is to say, Without taking along the parts that alivays move in unison ivith the governor sleeve 29. ln the case of excessive engine speed, the brake ivill be applied automatically through the action ot the governor sleeve on the parts 30', 33', 35a causing the plug in the valve easing 37 to be turned in euch a manner as to admit oil under pressure from the pipe 51 to the pipe 39 and thus to the cylinder G7, operating the piston 68 and lever 72 in such a manner that the pin 76 Will be drawn against the left-hand end et the slot or guide 77, Whereupon the lever 7 S ivill move in unison ivitli the arm 75, to the brake-applying position. lVith this construction (as also ivith the one illustrated by Fig. l0) the return of the governor to the position correspondingto normal speed, Will not change the position of the lever 7S 'from the brake-applying position, so that manual operat'on Will be necessary to bring the lever to the neutral (lap) or to the release position. Ot course, normally the pressure pipe 51 ivill not be in communication with the pipe 39 leading to the cylinder 67.

In Fig. l0, the rod 33 connects the elbow lever 39 directly`r at 34, with a lever 72 ulcrumed at 73 and connected With the arm 75 in the same manner as in Fig. 9, the

connection ivith the engincers valve being also as 1n Fig. 9, and the operation being equivalent to that explained in connection ivith 9, so that a detailed description will not be necessary.

l claim:

l. In a power-propelled vehicle, a poiver plant of the type in ivhich a liquid under pressure is used to transmit poiver to the vehicle drive, a governor operatively connected with said power plant, and a brake controlled by said governor to be applied reseas automatically Whenever the speed of the power plant exceeds a predetern'iined limit.

2. ln a power-propelled vehicle, a poiver plant et the type in which a liquid under pressure is used to transmit power to the vehicle drive, a governor operatively connected with said poiver plant, brake mechanism, and a connection, controlled by said governor, for admitting said liquid under pressure to said brake mechanism to cause it to become operative ivhen the speed or the poiver plant exceeds a predetermined limit.

3. In a power-propelled vehicle, a poiver plant of the type comprising a pump, means for driving it, and a motor driven by the liquid propelled by said pump, brake mechanism, a connection for admitting said liquid under pressure to the brake mechanism to cause its operation, and means, under the control ot' the operator, 'tor controlling said connection.

l. ln a power-propelled vehicle, a pou'er plant ot the type comprising an engine, a pump driven by said engine, and a motor driven by the liquid propelled by said pump, a centrifugal governor operatively connected With said engine, brake mechanism, and a connection, controlled by said governor, for admitting said liquid under pressure to said brake mechanism to cause its operation Whenever the engine speed exceeds a predetermined limit.

5. In a power-propelled vehicle, a power plant ol the type comprising a pump casing, a pump therein, an expansion tank connected With said casing, means for driving said pump, a motor driven by the liquid propelled by said pump, brake mechanism, and valve mechanism controlling said brake mechanism, said valve mechanism comprising a casing having three connections, one leading to the pressure or delivery port ot the pump, another to the expansion tank, and the third to the brake mechanism, and a valve member movable Within said casing and adapted, according to its position, to connect; the brake mechanism connection ot the valve casing either With the expansion tank, to rclease the brake, or ivith the pressure connection, to apply the brake.

6. In a power-propelled vehicle, a power plant et the type comprising a pump, means for driving it, a motor driven by the liquid propelled by said pump, brake mechanism, and valve mechanism controlling said brake mechanism, said valve mechanism comprising` a casing having three ports, one ot them a relief port, another communicating with the pressure or delivery port ot the pump, and the third with the brake mechanism, and a valve member movable in said casing and adapted, according to its position, to connect the said third port either ivith the relief port or With the port communicating with the pressure port of the pump.

lili) llf) 7 ln a poivenpropelled vehicle, a power plant Ot the type comprising a pump, means for driving it, a motor driven hy the liquid propelled by said pump, brake mechanism, and valve mechanism controlling said brake mechanism, said valve mechanism comprising a casing having three ports, a tanlr connected with one of said ports, a connection from the second port to the pressure or de livery port of the pump, and a connection from the third port to said brake mechanism, and a valve member movable in said casing and adapted, according to its posi tion, to connect said third port either with said tanlr or with the pressure port of the pump.

8. ln a power-propelled vehicle, power plant of the type comprising an engine, a pump driven by said engine and adjustable so that either of its ports may serve as a suction port or as a delivery port, a motor driven by the liquid propelled by said pump and having connections to receive liquid under pressure from one of said pump ports and to return liquid to the other pump port, brake mechanism, and valve mechanism comprising a casing having three ports, one of them a relief port, a connection from the second port to the brake mechanism, a connection from the third port to both ports of the pump, a valve located in said last-named connection to establish automatically a connection between said third port and only that pump port which at the time is the pressure or delivery port, and a valve member movable in said casing and adapted, according to its position, to connect said second port of the valve casing either With the reliet port or with the pressure port of the pump.

9. in a povvervpropelled vehicle, a power plant of the type comprising an engine, a pump driven by said engine, a motor driving the vehicle and actuated hy the fluid propelled by said pump, a brake adapted to be operated hy the pressure of such Huid, and air mechanism for operating the same brake.

10. ln a power-propelled vehicle, a povver plant of the type comprising an engine, a pump driven hy said engine, a motor driving the vehicle and actuated hy the fluid propelled hy said pump, a brake adapted to be operated automatically by the pressure o't said Huid, and manually-operated means llfor actuating said brake independently et such automatic means.

ll. ln a power-propelled vehicle, a power plant oi the type comprising an engine, a pump driven by said engine, a motor driving the vehicle and actuated hy the fluid propelled by said pump, a governor connected With said engine, a brake operated by said governor automatically, and rmtnually-conk trolled mechanism for operating said brake independently oit the governor.

l2. ln a power-propelled vehicle, a power plant for driving said vehicle, said powerplant including a governor, a brake operated hy said governor automatically,and manually-controlled mechanism for operating said brake independently of the governor.

ln testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

JOHN RUBSON. 

